The best HR & People Analytics articles of December 2023
The December edition of my monthly compendium is an opportunity to reflect on the year that has nearly passed and look forward to what lies ahead. 2023 has proved to be another challenging year full of geopolitical tension, economic uncertainty, and climate inaction. For HR and people analytics professionals, it has been a year dominated by generative AI, skills, and the continuing journey of HR from support function to strategic partner.
HR’s elevation to being a strategic partner is the underlying theme of my recently published 12 Opportunities for HR in 2024 article (see FIG 1). If you’d like to contribute suggestions for opportunities 11 and 12, please click here and add your suggestion in the comments.
FIG 1: 12 Opportunities for HR in 2024 (Source: David Green)
Despite managing to catch Covid on the flight home, I thoroughly enjoyed my recent trip to India, at the end of November, where I spoke at the Indeed FutureWorks event in Bangalore. A huge thank you to Aarti Deoskar, Jessie Paul, Rittik Mondal, Rohan Sylvester, and the Indeed team for inviting me.
Looking for a new role in people analytics or HR tech?
Before we get to this month’s collection of resources, I’d like to once again highlight the wonderful resource created by Richard Rosenow and the One Model team of open roles in people analytics and HR technology, which now numbers nearly 500 roles.
Happy Holidays!
I wish all readers who are taking a break over the festive season Happy Holidays, and a prosperous and healthy 2024. Thank you to everyone who has supported Insight222, myHRfuture and the Digital HR Leaders Podcast in 2023. It’s much appreciated.
Share the love!
Enjoy reading the collection of resources for December and, if you do, please share some data driven HR love with your colleagues and networks. Thanks to the many of you who liked, shared and/or commented on November’s compendium (including those in the Comments below).
If you enjoy a weekly dose of curated learning (and the Digital HR Leaders podcast), the Insight222 newsletter: Digital HR Leaders newsletter is published every Tuesday – subscribe here.
2023 HR RETROSPECTIVES AND 2024 PREDICTIONS
DAVE ULRICH - The State of HR: Looking Back and Envisioning Forward | McKINSEY - What matters most? Eight CEO priorities for 2024 | CULTURE AMP - 7 trends that will define HR in 2024 | KEN OEHLER - RADICL People Predictions for 2024 | VISIER – The New Rules of HR: 10 Workforce Trends for 2024 | i4CP – 2024 Priorities and Predictions
Putting my own 12 Opportunities for HR in 2024 to one side, there are a plethora of other trends and predictions being published. Six resources that I recommend digging deeper into come from Dave Ulrich, McKinsey, Culture Amp, RADICL, Visier Inc. and Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp). (1) Dave Ulrich looks back on the main themes in HR in 2023, declares “Now is the time for HR,” and outlines four areas where his firm, The RBL Group, will be conducting think tanks in 2024. (2) Homayoun Hatami and Liz Hilton Segel of McKinsey present eight CEO priorities for 2024 including Learn to love your middle managers. (3) Didier Elzinga and Damon Klotz co-opt contributions from Stacia Sherman Garr, Justin Angsuwat, Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM, and Hung Lee for their thoughtful seven trends that will define HR in 2024 including greater pay transparency, staying human as intelligent tech evolves, and regaining trust. (4) RADICL’s Ken Oehler presents five people predictions for 2024, with my favourite being #4 Attention Shifts to Solving Distributed Team Effectiveness (see FIG 2 for RADICL’s model of distributed team effectiveness: Coordination, Connection and Competence). (5) Visier collect trends from a number of industry luminaries and practitioners including Wendy Evesque, Michael Salva, Melissa Arronte, and Eric Bokelberg, with the lead trend being: The CHRO Leads From the Outside-In. (6) Last but not least, in his Foreword to i4CP’s annual look at priorities and predictions, Kevin Oakes highlights the dominance of AI and provides an illuminating insight on the direct correlation between the adoption of AI and business performance: “AI Innovators are more likely to have higher market performance, increased levels of innovation and productivity, and healthier cultures than those that have been slower to adopt AI.”
Now is the time for HR
FIG 2: The Collaboration Opportunity for distributed team effectiveness (Source: RADICL)
PEOPLE ANALYTICS
ROB BRINER - Evidence-based HR and people analytics are the same, right? Afraid not
Rob Briner examines the relationship between people analytics and evidence-based HR, explaining each of them, outlining the differences (see FIG 3) and concluding that: “While people analytics is a welcome and necessary development within the HR profession and certainly goes some way to helping HR become more effective, it is not, on its own, enough.” Rob also highlights the three key principles of evidence-based HR: (1) Incorporate multiple sources and types of evidence and information. (2) Adopt a structured and explicit process of gathering and using evidence. (3) Focus on the most trustworthy and relevant evidence.
FIG 3: Differences between people analytics and evidence-based HR (Source: Rob Briner)
PATRICK COOLEN - Establishing people analytics as a common practice (part II)
This article by Patrick Coolen, which follows up Part 1 where he presented his People Analytics FIT model, dovetails nicely with Rob Briner’s article as it focuses on the evidence-based HR services provided by people analytics functions. In the article, Patrick recommends that to establish people analytics as a common practice companies should not only focus on becoming more mature in the evidence-based HR services but in integrating these services too. Patrick provides a roadmap to achieving this (see FIG 4) as well as outlining three reasons for integration: (1) Integration leads to faster and higher-quality delivery. (2) Integration attracts experienced people analytics leaders. (3) Integration supports being a strategic advisor.
High impact people analytics practices integrate various evidence-based HR services
FIG 4: Road map strategies for people analytics practices (Source: Patrick Coolen)
JAAP VELDKAMP AND HELEEN GOET - How to determine your success KPIs in HR
This is a great article by Patrick Coolen’s erstwhile colleague and successor as Head of People Analytics at ABN Amro, Jaap Veldkamp. In the article, Jaap – together with Heleen Goet – outline the process followed at ABN Amro for establishing a clear link between each HR service and its impact on business outcomes. It outlines a ‘define your success’ workshop conducted between the people analytics team and HR at the bank to link each service to output and outcomes (see example in FIG 5). The article also outlines two benefits of this approach: (1) It leads to better collaboration between various teams in HR. (2) It magnifies the broader advisory role of people analytics.
FIG 5: Source: Jaap Veldkamp and Heleen Goet
NAOMI VERGHESE AND DAVID GREEN - The Importance of Ethics in People Analytics for Leading Companies
Naomi Verghese and I explore the critical topic of ethics, which is one of the eight characteristics of Leading Companies in People Analytics identified in the recently published Insight222 People Analytics Trends study. In the article, Naomi and I outline three key practices on ethics adopted by Leading Companies in their people analytics work. (1) Strong Ethical Principles - including the development of an Ethics Charter, with an example from Jaap Veldkamp of ABN AMRO. (2) Open Communication – including the ‘Fair Exchange of Value’, with a contribution from Dawn Klinghoffer on the importance of communicating value to employees. (3) Ethics Oversight – including the institution of an ethics and privacy council (see FIG 6).
The “Fair Exchange of Value” is a key mantra for people analytics teams. If employees understand how their data will be used and see the benefit, it is far more likely that they will contribute data.
FIG 6: Ethics and Privacy council for people analytics (Source: Excellence in People Analytics by Jonathan Ferrar and David Green)
TOM REDMAN AND TOM DAVENPORT - The Rise of Connector Roles in Data Science
In our research at Insight222, one of the characteristics of Leading Companies is that they invest in three key skills in their people analytics team: consultants, data scientists and behavioural scientists. In their article, Tom Redman and Tom Davenport outline the role of connectors, who bridge the organisational gaps that often thwart success with data science projects, and whose key responsibilities mirror many of those attributed to the people analytics consultant in the Insight222 Operating Model. These include: (1) Framing the problem to be solved. (2) Translating between business and technical people. (3) Communicating requirements, progress, and issues within the team. (4) Keeping track of progress toward the overall goal of deployment and organisational change when nobody else sees the big picture. The article outlines how connectors close the gap, provides guidance on how to manage connectors, and provides examples of what companies are trying in this area.
Connectors help senior business leaders understand both the potential and challenges of data science, help data science leaders understand the top problems facing the business, and establish a portfolio of data science projects that aligns with business needs.
BEN TEUSCH - An incomplete starter's guide to attrition metrics | SARA TIEW - Thriving Together: A Year on UOB's Culture Transformation Journey | JACKSON ROATCH – Lessons from Sports Analytics | LYDIA WU - HR in 2024: A Practitioner’s View | MATTHEW HAMILTON - How data quality is like a DIY haircut
November has seen a number of articles written by current and recent people analytics leaders, which typically act as a spur and inspiration for the field. Five are highlighted here: (1) Ben Teusch, part of Meta’s people analytics team, provides a helpful to attrition metrics (see FIG 7). (2) Sara Tiew provides insights from UOB’s culture transformation journey over the last 12 months. (3) Jackson Roatch draws four lessons from sports analytics that we could look to apply in the “less perfect world” of people analytics. (4) Lydia Wu continues her prolific ‘Oops, did I think that out loud’ series by looking into her crystal ball to see what is in store for HR and people analytics in 2024. (5) The nearly as prolific Matthew Hamilton explains why the maxim of people assuming that the better the data quality, the better the analysis is often not correct.
FIG 7: Source: Ben Teusch
GENERATIVE AI AND THE FUTURE OF WORK
PLACID JOVER - The Future of Work is Flexible
In this article, Placid Jover, Chief Talent and Reward Officer, presents three innovations Unilever is making to embrace a move from owning to accessing talent. (1) The Skills Passport (“As companies jostle to build a complete picture of what they need and how to get there, we’re fast learning that the real currency is skills”). (2) The Internal Talent Marketplace (“We have already seen a 40% increase in productivity and a significant reduction in attrition directly linked to Flex Experiences”). (3) The Pixelated Workforce (“Breaking down work into its core elements or “pixels”, then dividing those up between permanent staff and contractors, with the AI recommending teams or individuals for missions based on how they work with others as well as how they perform”). For more from Placid, I recommend listening to this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast: How Unilever is Creating New Ways of Working for Its Employees.
As companies jostle to build a complete picture of what they need and how to get there, we’re fast learning that the real currency is skills
RICHARD FLORIDA, VLADISLAV BOUTENKO, ANTOINE VERTRANO, AND SARA SALOO – Rethinking Corporate Location Strategy: The Rise of the Meta City
In their Harvard Business Review article, Richard Florida, Vladislav Boutenko, Antoine Vetrano, and Sara Nasir Saloo outline the structure and logic in where and how businesses locate their offices and compete for talent. Their research identifies the rise of a new type of city, the ‘Meta City,’ which combines elements of physical clustering with digital connectivity (see FIG 8). They argue that this makes location strategy even more important including corporate headquarters, innovation centres, and satellite offices — and more significantly, talent attraction and retention. A must-read for those involved in talent intelligence, hybrid work strategy and strategic workforce planning.
FIG 8: Ranking the world’s Meta Cities (Source: Florida et al)
PETER JOHN LAMBERT, NICHOLAS BLOOM, STEVEN DAVIS, STEPHEN HANSEN, YABRA MUVDI, RAFFAELLA SADUN, AND BLEDI TASKA - Research: The Growing Inequality of Who Gets to Work from Home
Data is increasingly showing that there is a large and growing divide in terms of who gets to work from home. In their Harvard Business Review article, Peter John Lambert, Nick Bloom, Steven J. Davis, Stephen Hansen, Yabra Muvdi, Raffaella Sadun, and Bledi Taska, Ph.D. present research on job postings, which finds that remote work is far more common for higher paid roles, for roles that require more experience, for full-time work, and for roles that require more education. Managers should be aware of this divide, as it has the potential to create toxic dynamics within teams and to sap morale. For more from Nick Bloom, tune in to his conversation with me on the Digital HR Leaders podcast: Unmasking Common Myths Around Remote Work.
FIG 9: Work-from-home opportunities are more common for highly-paid jobs (Source: Lambert, Bloom et al)
RYAN ROSLANSKY - Talent Management in the Age of AI | GIANNI GIACOMELLI - Learning and Talent Management in the Age of AI | TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC - 4 science-backed reasons AI is better at predicting your potential in a job | DAVID L. SHRIER, JULIAN EMANUEL, AND, MARC HARRIS – Is Your Job AI Resilient? | NADA R. SANDERS AND JOHN D. WOOD - The Skills Your Employees Need to Work Effectively with AI
A key opportunity for HR in 2024 will be to prepare the organisation and HR for the age of AI. Here are five articles that support this imperative. (1) LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky highlights three big shifts to support success a) redefine jobs as a collection of a skills and tasks, not titles, b) bring skills and workforce learning to the centre of talent management, and c) embrace AI to focus teams on human-to-human collaboration, and shares examples from IBM, Genpact, Unilever as well as LinkedIn. (2) Gianni Giacomelli provides more detail on the Genpact example cited by Ryan in his article explaining how they have connected internal mobility, learning, engagement and collaboration (see FIG 10). (3) The brilliant Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic digs into the science to present four ways that AI is better at predicting potential including how AI can increase fairness and diversity. (4) David Shrier, Julian Emanuel, and Marc Harris outline their research on which jobs will be most affected by AI, including which stand to benefit the most from augmentation by AI (see FIG 11). (5) Nada Sanders and John Wood present findings from their research, which highlights two key areas of investment in skills related to AI: a) effective interpersonal skills, and 2) domain knowledge that can help workers get the most — and make the best decisions — when working with AI tools.
FIG 10: Source – Gianni Giacomelli, Genpact
FIG 11: AI Proficiency relative to human by cognitive task (Source: Shrier et al)
THE EVOLUTION OF HR AND DATA DRIVEN CULTURE
MARIE NEICU, JOAN BEETS, FRANK VAN DEN BRINK, BEAU HOES, AND EDIS PAJIC – Humanized Growth and Multistakeholder Value Creation: Perspectives from Chief Human Resources Officers| McKINSEY - How is the CHRO role changing?
Two resources exploring perspectives from chief human resource officers and how the role is changing. Firstly, the KennedyFitch team of Maria Neicu, Joan Beets, Frank van den Brink, Beau Hoes, and Edis Pajic share the findings from structured interviews with 30 CHROs including Janine Vos, Katarina Berg, Paulo Pisano (also see episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast with Paulo below), Mala S., and Loren I. Shuster. The report is framed around the concept of humanised growth, which is defined as: “Humanized Growth addresses the needs of all shareholders, consumers, colleagues, community and the capital Markets.” It explores the role of the people function as a strategic partner, how to harness technology for impact, how to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, and why humanised growth starts with the employee experience. The second article from McKinsey examines the evolution of the HR operating model, how CHROs are putting the ‘human’ back into human resources, how GenAI will affect the HR function, and how CHROs can build the leadership capabilities required for an agile transformation.
WORKFORCE PLANNING, ORG DESIGN, AND SKILLS-BASED ORGANISATIONS
RICHARD ROSENOW - The SOAPI Framework - A New Lens for Modern Workforce Planning
Richard Rosenow is one of the best thinkers in our field and demonstrates it with his paper for One Model introducing his SOAPI framework for workforce planning. As he explains, it is a methodology that offers a structured method to break workforce planning into component parts. Each component represents a pillar, collectively forming the discipline of workforce planning. These are: (1) Strategy, (2) Operations (3) Analytics, (4) Planning, and (5) Intelligence. The paper breaks each of these down, and details what happens if one of these pillars is missing (see FIG 12).
FIG 12: Source: Richard Rosenow, One Model
SCOTT REIDA - Zero-based workforce planning with ChatGPT in Tableau
A brilliant, practical, and open-source guide on zero-based workforce planning with inputs from ChatGPT and outputs in Tableau, which has been created by Scott Reida, a workforce strategist at AWS. Scott defines zero-based workforce planning as “A methodology that can shape how businesses align their human capital with organizational goals and enable a more cost-effective solution that gets closer to having the right people at the right time.” His article provides a step by step guide to creating a dashboard (available here) that utilises outputs from ChatGPT for demand and aligns them with the supply of FTEs, facilitating the understanding of capability gaps.
FIG 13: Source: Scott Reida
JEFF WILLIAMSON AND DONNCHA CARROLL - How to Start Smart With a Talent Marketplace
Despite some of the hype, launching an internal talent marketplace can be a significant challenge for organisations. In this article, Jeffrey Williamson and Donncha Carroll share the journey to implementing a talent marketplace at Booz Allen and the key lessons learned with regards to user adoption and change management. The article outlines four lessons: (1) Bring on the gamification (gamifying learning and offering recognition and rewards to employees who invested in their own development). (2) Data goals must be relevant to individual career goals. (3) Even change management needs to change (see FIG 14). (4) Momentum, motivation, and measurement matter a great deal.
FIG 14: Four Culture Challenges to Conquer with a Talent Marketplace (Source: Jeff Williamson and Donncha Carroll)
BRIAN FISHER, MELBA GANT, VASILIS HATZOPOULOS, KATIE JENKINS, HEATHER RYAN, AND PETER STEVENSON - 2023/2024 skills snapshot survey report: Skills-powered practices, future pay and effectiveness
Mercer’s fourth annual Skills Snapshot Survey has a wealth of insights and guidance that highlight the progress many companies are making to embrace platforms and data to action skills-based strategies. In the paper, the authors (Brian Fisher, Melba Gant, Vasilis Hatzopoulos, Katie Jenkins, ?Heather Ryan , and Peter Stevenson) outline the benefits of skills-based practices (see FIG 15), how to build a skills foundation, how to determine the frequency of skill assessment, how to tackle skills-based rewards programs, and provide five steps to building a skills-based talent strategy: (1) Build the business case. (2) Align the key performance indicators. (3) Design with the end in mind. (4) Prioritise change management. (5) Drive and sustain. Also features contributions from Amy Baxendale and Anshul Sheopuri.
FIG 15: The benefits of skills-based practices (Source: Mercer)
EMPLOYEE LISTENING, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, AND EMPLOYEE WELLBEING
NICK LYNN - Can you have high employee engagement and high turnover?
Nick Lynn reveals that nearly 20% of companies have both high employee engagement and high turnover; and then provides a wealth of guidance on what you can do about it if that’s the case for your company. He breaks down employee engagement and although it can be related to retention, why it is different. Nick shares insightful research from the CIPD on the and WTW on the drivers of employee engagement and experience, with the latter providing analysis and guidance on the links between engagement, performance, and retention. The article highlights WTW research by angela paul and Stephen Young, where they segmented 350 companies according to both the level of employee engagement and the level of retention, comparing each to their respective industry average (see FIG 16), and how companies in the top right quadrant (‘Value Drive’) also have a performance advantage, delivering the best profits and growth (also see FIG 16). Finally, Nick outlines a three-step approach for companies in the Value Risk category: Understand — Prioritise — Spark Change. I also recommend subscribing to Nick’s equally insightful EX Leadership Newsletter.
FIG 16: Source – WTW
INDRANEEL BANERJEE, AVINASH CHANDRA DAS, JATIN PANT, AND SHIKHA SHARMA - Employee experience still matters: Talent retention at GCCs
While focused on ways to improve employee retention at Global Capability Centres, the five actions to improve employee experience outlined by Indraneel 'Indy' Banerjee, Avinash Chandra Das, Jatin Pant, and Shikha Sharma in their article for McKinsey could be implemented in other business areas. The five actions are (1) Use personas and journeys to customise EX. (2) Reimagine the role of manager to emphasise coaching and mentorship (see FIG 17). (3) Find new ways to embed culture and values for a hybrid work environment. (4) Redesign the office for collaboration and connection. (5) Rethink the traditional workday.
Executives should treat EX as seriously as CX by being more scientific and more tailored in their approach.
FIG 17: The roles of manager need to be redesigned to focus more on coaching and mentoring (Source: McKinsey)
LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE
RAINER STRACK, SUSANNE DYRCHS, AND ALLISON BAILEY - Use Strategic Thinking to Create the Life You Want
How can we apply the learnings from corporate strategy projects to our own lives? That’s the unlikely – but ultimately captivating – exam question tackled by BCG’s Rainer Strack, Dr. Susanne Dyrchs, and Allison Bailey in their absorbing Harvard Business Review article. The authors present the seven steps they typically use to conduct a corporate strategy project and show how these can be adapted to an individual (see FIG 18). They then describe each of the seven steps with insights and powerful visualisations, as well as demonstrating how to develop a personal life strategy and summarise it on a single page. File under must-read.
FIG 18: From corporate strategy to life strategy (Source: Strack et al)
MCKINSEY HEALTH INSTITUTE - Reframing employee health: Moving beyond burnout to holistic health
Jacqui Brassey, PhD, MA, MAfN (née Schouten), Brad Herbig, Barbara Jeffery, and Drew Ungerman present the key findings from a recent McKinsey Health Institute study that offers insights into how leaders can help create a workplace that prioritises physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. Three standout findings are (1) Employees who had positive work experiences reported better holistic health, are more innovative at work, and have improved job performance. (2) For employees, good holistic health is most strongly predicted by workplace enablers, while burnout is strongly predicted by workplace demands (see FIG 19). (3) Organisational, team, job, and individual interventions that address demands and enablers can boost employee holistic health.
FIG 19: Source: McKinsey Health Institute
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING
McKINSEY - Diversity matters even more: The case for holistic impact
The fourth report in a McKinsey series stretching back to 2015, investigating the business case for diversity. The main takeaway is that the 2023 study finds that the business case is the strongest it has been yet with leadership diversity being convincingly associated with business performance, societal impact and employee experience (see FIG 20). The full 52 page report details case studies from the likes of IHG Hotels & Resorts, DHL Group, and Air New Zealand, as well as presenting five levers for change for moving from commitment to action. Kudos to the authors: Dame Vivian Hunt, Sundiatu Dixon-Fyle, Celia Huber, Maria del Mar Martinez, Sara Prince, and Ashley Thomas.
FIG 20: The business case for diversity on executive teams and financial outperformance (Source: McKinsey)
HR TECH VOICES
Much of the innovation in the field continues to be driven by the vendor community, and I’ve picked out a few resources from December that I recommend readers delve into:
ERNEST NG - What Matters Now: Embracing the New Era of Disclosures for All HR Technology Stakeholders – Ernest Ng, PhD of HiredScore explains why disclosure is a critical tool to maintain trust and legitimacy across four areas (1) Employer Disclosure with Candidates/Employees. (2) Solution Provider Disclosures to the Buyer. (3) Organisational Disclosures to the Government. (4) Industry Analysts with Consumers – the latter is one, I’d personally like to see more of us talking about as we head into 2024.
JAMAL MAZYCK - How Employee Resource Groups help build a culture of belonging - Jamal Evan Mazyck, Ed.D provides insights from Atlassian’s journey in building Employee Resource Groups, and how they engender a sense of belonging: “It’s not enough to recruit talent from underrepresented groups and give them equal access to opportunities; once they’re in the door, these employees need to feel that they belong.”
STEVE HUNT - The Skills Management Revolution: one-year, two-year, and three-year predictions – SAP’s Steve Hunt breaks down skills management in his article, which covers what it is, why it’s important, the three ontologies companies are building with skills management solutions (labour market, organisational and employee/candidate/contractor), and a one, two, and three year outlook on how these solutions will reshape the nature of work and organisations.
FIG 21: Source – Steve Hunt
FRANCISCO MARIN - Reducing Employee Attrition with ONA: A Case Study from a European IT Company - Francisco Marin from Cognitive Talent Solutions presents a case study of a European IT company to showcase how ONA can be used to help predict and mitigate attrition, ultimately leading to a more stable and productive workforce.
PHIL ARKCOLL - Developer Experience: The Developer Centric Approach to Productivity - Another great read from Philip Arkcoll of Worklytics. This time Phil outlines how by using active and passive listening with the objective of working to improve the developer experience, organisations can get developer buy in, boost productivity and attract top technical talent.
FIG 22: Source – Phil Arkcoll, Worklytics
PODCASTS OF THE MONTH
In another month of high-quality podcasts, I’ve selected four gems for your aural pleasure: (you can also check out the latest episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast – see ‘From My Desk’ below):
JASON AVERBOOK - Generative AI: Revolutionizing the Employee Experience - In this episode of the Mercer | Leapgen AI-volution: Redefining HR podcast, Jason Averbook explores the transformative power of generative AI in shaping the future of employee experience.
AARON DE SMET, ANGELIKA REICH, ROBERTA FUSARO, AND LUCIA RAHILLY - Who is productive, and who isn’t? Here’s how to tell - In an episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Aaron De Smet and Angelika Reich talk to hosts Roberta Fusaro and Lucia Rahilly about their latest research on employee productivity.
KAYE SLAY, VANDANA BHAGTANI, STACIA GARR, AND DANI JOHNSON - Narrowing Scope & Purpose to Ease the Transition to a Skills-Based Organization – Another great episode of RedThread Research’s Workplace Stories podcast where Vandana Bhagtani and Kaye Slay-Pruitt, UXC share with Stacia Sherman Garr and Dani Johnson how they’ve worked together to develop a strategy for transitioning Hewlett Packard Enterprise to a skills-based organisation.
DOUG SHAGAM, COLE NAPPER, AND SCOTT HINES - People Analytics at J&J & Playing Drums – Doug Shagam joins Cole Napper and Scott Hines, PhD on the Directionally Correct podcast to discuss some of the great work the J&J team is doing in people analytics.
VIDEO OF THE MONTH
AMY EDMONDSON, ADAM GRANT, AND DES DEARLOVE - Decoding failure, debunking feedback, & harnessing learning for success
A fascinating conversation with Amy Edmondson and Adam Grant, who have just been recognised as #1 and #2 respectively on the prestigious Thinkers50 list of management thinkers. In the discussion with Des Dearlove, Amy and Adam discuss how to manage (and maximise learning from) failure and how to unlock hidden potential (it’s not about where you start; it's how far you can go).
BOOK OF THE MONTH
KATE BRAVERY, ILYA BONIC, AND KAI ANDERSON - Work Different: 10 Truths for Winning in the People Age
I'm currently reading the recently published book by Kate Bravery, Ilya Bonic, and Kai Anderson, which is based around 10 'truths' that are shaping the world of work. Three of the truths are: (1) Purpose rules and empathy wins. (2) Intelligence is getting amplified. (3) Skills are the real currency of work. Packed with insights, guidance, and examples, the book should be an indispensable resource for executives, managers, board members, human resources professionals, and other business leaders.
FROM MY DESK
December saw the final four episodes of Series 35 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, sponsored by our friends at HiBob . Thank you to Louis Gordon .
MADELINE LAURANO - How to Buy HR Tech and Use It Effectively – Top industry analyst Madeline Laurano joins me to discuss the key themes on HR Tech in 2023, and what lies ahead in 2024 (see video below).
SARAH REYNOLDS - A CMO's Approach to Mastering Pay Transparency – HiBob’s Sarah Reynolds joins me to discuss the intersection of HR and marketing, the business benefits of pay transparency and its importance for DEIB.
PAULO PISANO - Booking.com’s 360-Degree View of Employee Experience – In our conversation, Paulo Pisano, Chief People Officer, outlines how Booking leverages data to enhance employee experience, streamline talent management across its international operations, and ensure that its workforce strategies are both effective and adaptable in a constantly changing business environment.
HEBBA YOUSSEF - Navigating HR Tech Triumphs & Avoiding Failures – Hebba Youssef, Chief People Officer at Workweek joins me to discuss the common pitfalls of implementing HR technology and strategies for success.
THANK YOU
Finally, this month I’d like to thank:
Abhilash Bodanapu for hosting me for lunch during my trip to Bangalore (see here) – it was wonderful to learn more about the people analytics journey bat Capgemini
Raja Sengupta (see here) for such a wonderful discussion on people analytics in Bangalore. It was wonderful to finally meet in person!
Geraldine Woloch-Addamine for including me in her list of Four Inspiring Voices on LinkedIn – it is humbling to be included in the same list as Amy, Adam, and Dave
Teamflect for including me in their list of 18 HR Influencers to Follow
Lanteria HR for including in their list of 10 favourite HR leaders of 2023
Dariush Franczak for including the November edition of the Data Driven HR Monthly in his list of HR resources
Thinkers360 for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast in their comprehensive list of 125 Podcasts from Thinkers360 Thought Leaders
CollectiveHR for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast with Nick Dalton in one of their Content of the Week collections
The prolific Esther Abraas for including the Digital HR Leaders podcast episode with Laura Wright Shubert in her collection of resources on strategic workforce planning
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Green ?? is a globally respected author, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As Managing Partner and Executive Director at Insight222, he has overall responsibility for the delivery of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, which supports the advancement of people analytics in over 90 global organisations. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David accumulated over 20 years experience in the human resources and people analytics fields, including as Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations increase value, impact and focus from the wise and ethical use of people analytics. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast and is an instructor for Insight222's myHRfuture Academy. His book, co-authored with Jonathan Ferrar, Excellence in People Analytics: How to use Workforce Data to Create Business Value was published in the summer of 2021.
People Analytics
2023年12月24日
People Analytics
Top 10 HR and People Analytics Themes of 2023
As we near the end of another successful year here at Insight222, we want to reflect on the top themes that have emerged in our content.
From data-driven insights to real-world examples, our team has worked meticulously to deliver informative and persuasive articles that aim to enhance the HR and people analytics function. And we have seen some exciting changes and advancements in the field this year.
So, without further ado, here are the top themes that have taken front stage in our content during 2023.
Psychological Safety in the Workplace
Psychological safety in the workplace has been proven time and time again that without it, a team cannot thrive. In fact, we like to think of it as the epitome of successful teams.
Therefore, it's no surprise that this theme carries over from last year. Some of our most popular blogs discuss measuring psychological safety in the workplace, understanding how organisational culture impacts it and exploring how companies like Microsoft are transforming their organisational culture to prioritise psychological safety and promote a positive work environment.
Behavioural Science in HR
(Source: People Analytics Trends 2021)
The integration of behavioural science into HR and people analytics practices has been gaining traction for the past few years, and this year was no exception. With the changing nature of skills and roles in HR, the need for understanding human behaviour and decision-making has become increasingly important in driving impactful business outcomes.
With this, our article on exploring the role of behavioural science in HR and how it can be leveraged to improve employee engagement, performance, and productivity was one of our most popular reads of 2023.
How AI is Changing the HR Landscape
No discussion about the future of work is complete without considering the role of artificial intelligence (AI).
(Source: The Impact of GPT and Generative AI Models on People Analytics (Interview with Andrew Marritt))
AI has been incorporated into HR for some time now. We have been using it to automate routine tasks, streamline recruitment processes and improve HR analytics. However, with the birth of generative AI models like Chat-GPT, it is an understatement to say that AI has revolutionised every aspect of HR. Better yet, it's safe to say that it has and will continue to revolutionise every business function within an organisation.
From utilising AI in people analytics to how it is transforming the HR landscape, our articles on the impact of Chat-GPT and generative AI models and how AI is changing HR analytics have been among the most popular reads of this year. And for good reason - with the potential to improve decision-making, streamline processes, and enhance employee experience, AI is a topic every HR and people analytics professional should pay attention to.
The Impact of Analytics on HR
Our Insight222 research has shown time and time again that organisations that invest in people analytics drive better business outcomes, which is why, this year, we continued to dig deeper into this topic by exploring the New Model for People Analytics.
With the rise of digital transformation and the increasing importance of data in driving strategic business decisions, our articles on using statistics to drive actionable outcomes, why people analytics is so important for HR, and how social capital can be measured have been highly sought-after reads.
Upskilling the HR Function and Building Data Literacy at Scale
Considering the previous points, it's understandable that upskilling the HR function and building data literacy at scale have emerged as key themes this year. To fully leverage the benefits of AI and data analytics, HR professionals must develop a strong understanding of data and how it can be used to drive strategic decision-making.
As such, in July, we released our research, Upskilling the HR Profession: Building Data Literacy at Scale, which outlines the skills and competencies that HR professionals need to succeed in the digital age. It also highlights how HR leaders need to build an effective skill-based workforce planning capability.
(Source: Measuring the ROI of Employee Training and Development)
Interestingly, this research has also sparked discussions on who holds the responsibility for scaling data literacy across HR, which we explore in our article Who Holds the Responsibility for Scaling Data Literacy Across HR?
Measuring the ROI of Employee Development
Building upon the theme of upskilling and data literacy, it's important to also focus on measuring the ROI of employee development. As professionals in the HR sector, we know all too well that investing in employee training and development is crucial for an organisation's long-term success.
But with senior executives increasingly asking (and expecting) HR to demonstrate the value of these investments, our article on measuring the ROI of employee training and development has been one of the most popular reads this year.
Delivering Greater Value for the Business Through People Analytics
At its core, people analytics is about delivering greater value for the business. Our 2022 research, Impacting Business Value: Leading Companies in People Analytics, is a testament to this. Leading Companies (organisations that drive the most business impact through people analytics) have consistently shown better financial performance, higher employee engagement and retention rates, and overall greater success compared to their less data-driven counterparts.
This is why, in 2023, we have seen a surge of interest in articles on delivering greater value for the organisation with people analytics and the growing influence of people analytics in strategic business decisions.
And this trend will only continue as more and more organisations recognise the importance of incorporating data-driven insights into their decision-making processes.
Challenges to Building Data Literacy
If there is one thing we have identified as a common theme this year, it's the challenges of building data literacy within HR. From understanding the technical aspects of data analysis to gaining buy-in from senior leadership, organisations face various hurdles when trying to build a culture of data literacy.
(Source: Insight222 Research: Upskilling the HR Profession: Building Data Literacy at Scale)
However, as we continue to uncover the value that analytics brings to HR and the business as a whole, these challenges will become easier to overcome. And with more resources and tools available to support data literacy efforts within organisations, we are confident that this theme will evolve in 2024.
Evolving the HR Practice
In all, as we wrap up another year, it's clear that people analytics and data-driven HR practices have become even more ingrained in our work. From the importance of psychological safety and behavioural science to the impact of AI, measuring ROI, and delivering greater value to the business - these are just a few key themes that have shaped our content this year.
However, as we move forward, HR professionals must continue developing their data literacy and upskilling themselves to drive the success of their organisations further.
To that end, we look forward to seeing how these themes will evolve and shape the future of HR in the coming years.
Manpreet RandhawaDecember 18, 2023
People Analytics
2023年12月22日
People Analytics
Don’t Be A Copy-Cat: People Analytics as the Antidote to HR Strategy Copy-CatsThis article is written to discuss: why copying the HR practices that everyone else uses doesn’t lead to the positive outcomes you assume it will.
DISCLAIMER: If you like the HR strategy at your organization, you can probably stop reading now… If not, feel free to keep reading.
Context
Childhood wisdom: No one likes a copy-cat.
We all remember being children once. Kids are known to tease each other from time to time. One common reason to be teased when you were a child was being called a “copy-cat”. It didn’t feel good, often because we knew that if we were labeled a copy-cat, it was likely true. We were copying someone else. It felt bereft, unoriginal, and commonplace. We knew we were capable of being more, but we had settled for less. We were better than that. HR strategy can be better than that too.
Fast forward to the present, in HR being a copy-cat is all the rage. A priestly caste of HR influencers, HR tech consultants, FAANG companies, and sometimes even academics determine what is considered ‘en vogue’ as an HR strategy. Then, early adopter HR departments fall in-line; followed by the early majority and late majority after a few HR monkeys get “shot into space” without injury. The laggards may never arrive because they are still trying to move away from using paper files stuffed in filing cabinets, but nonetheless, being a copy-cat all the sudden became cool. Why be original when you could be doing what everyone else is doing? Perhaps, this is why Forrester is forecasting an EX winter coming soon…
In the African savanna, large numbers of herd animals, such as wildebeest, zebra, and gazelles, travel in packs. Why do they do this? Because there is safety in numbers. A zebra with a single imperfection or mark is easily identified and pulled from the pack by predators. Is the same true for HR? Are we safer in a pack? Is there wisdom in being a copy-cat? Would anything different make us stand out and therefore be put in danger? I think not. I think the opposite is true, in fact.
If you do all the same things as your competitors, how can you expect to get different results?
Does this HR strategy sound familiar?
“We’re going to try to hire the best talent, but only pay at the 50th percentile.”
“We’re a performance-driven organization, but we’re going to do performance reviews once a year on a 5-point rating scale, and we’ve got to implement a pay-for-performance incentive structure.”
“Our HR operating model is to use HR Business Partners, Centers of Excellence, and Shared Services.”
“We’re going to copy what Google did 10 years ago, or what GE did in the 80s.”
“We’re going to make data-driven decisions. I know! Let’s create another HR dashboard.”
If your organization wants to be radically better, it’s going to have to try some things that are radically different. Did anyone see Coinbase’s recent blog on Talent Density? I’m not saying I agree with the changes to their HR strategy, but at least they are trying to differentiate their HR strategy to be something different. They are getting into the game, for better or worse.
Source
What To Do, What To Do?
HR strategy should be composed of elements that are as unique to your business as your business strategy is unique to your business. It’s really as simple as that.
HR Strategy is upstream of people analytics. A vanilla, copy-cat HR strategy is going to lead to vanilla, copy-cat people analytics. In my opinion, people analytics doesn’t spend enough of its resources trying to familiarize itself, influence, and control HR strategy. People analytics should speak in the social currency of the organization. We should embed ourselves and influence key decision making, and have a seat at the table by speaking in the language of the business. There is social capital to be had, and the more I learn, the more I realize the necessity of this alternative currency. We should drive strategy.
With generative AI disrupting the value that human capital brings to organizations, who are the organizations that are going to be the innovators of tomorrow? Who are the organizations who will get the message early? Who will treat the need for differentiation with the existential demand that it dictates? Who will survive?
Source
“Best Practices”
I’m tired of the term ‘best practices’. I’m at a point in my career where I bristle when I hear someone say it. Perhaps it's one of the reasons why some people hate HR.
Organizational research is important, but best practices are a road to mediocrity. No one ever got fired for going with IBM, and no one ever got fired for using best practices… Until the whole firm loses to its competition, and everyone gets fired. Read it again, and think about that. It’s a short-term vs long-term thinking dilemma. Obviously, balance the two, but make sure to think with the long-term in mind.
What if instead of copy-catting, you:
A/B tested your HR strategy against those of other firms
Used opposition research to understand your competitors HR strategy better, so you can do something different
Implemented evidence-based practices on commoditized work, but experimented with firm-specific practices in the most strategically-relevant work
Focused on first-principles thinking as to how firm value is derived by its talent
Choose function over fad, when it comes to HR strategy
Rebuild HR strategy like the Oaklands As (and the Houston Astros) tore down and rebuilt their teams based on talent derived from data. Embed data, measurement, accountability, and the “improvement feedback loop” into every single workstream that HR engages. Henry Ford once said “if you always do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always got.” HR could be convicted of being mediocre. Average is over (or maybe even above average is over?). Differentiation is king. Strategic neglect (i.e., neglecting things that don’t add value) is also a valuable tool. Where do we need to be world class? Where can we be average? Answer those questions, then execute.
Source
Rebuilding HR Around Data & Measurement
In most HR functions, data is only used to validate, not to guide. No one thinks for themselves. Mimicry and mimesis abound.
People analytics is a competitive advantage for firms who use it properly. People analytics is the future of HR. Proclamations such as this have been made consistently in the past (e.g., HR is over, remote work is the future, there is no need for management, human tasks at work will be automated with AI, etc.), but this one is for real. Firms who are not embedding data into the way they do business, evaluating what they do with data, and projecting the future with data are going to be irrelevant.
In the future, even in the age of generative AI, there is only one currency, and that is truth. Truth can only be derived as data put into practice. Classical test theory states that all measurement is “truth-plus-error”, with error being any deviation between measurement and the truth. Some stakeholders believe that to mean that truth can never be attained because error will always exist. Practically, this is a misinterpretation. Organizations that can manifest the best data with the least error will be the closest to truth, and therein lies the root of competitive advantage via data. People analytics is not inherently useful. Data is not inherently useful. Only accurate data, with analysis and cogent results, derived into a form that facilitates timely and accurate decision making, and that is put into action, is useful. And across the aggregate of thousands, if not millions of small decisions made leads one organization to prevailing over another. May the odds ever be in your favor.
Source
Moving Forward
“Traditional HR” has been on the way out for decades. This article is for HR people who believe in challenging the status quo. Deep down they know there is a better way; a way forward for their organization. To not outsource their originality to others. To not be a copy-cat. Let’s focus on what the pathway forward looks like with a new highest principle – no longer “what is everyone else doing?” – but with data and measurement at the center. This article is for the HR professional who knows that HR can be smarter, faster, and better at their organization, and they are bound to make it happen. Join the movement. Don’t be a copy-cat. Let’s see how high we can fly together.
PS - I’m thinking of writing a book on this topic. If you’re a publisher and you are interested in this topic, or others I’ve written about before, please contact me directly.
Special shout out: Thanks to Brad Harris & Pat Downes for our previous conversations on this topic.
I hope you like this article. If so, I have a few more articles coming out soon. Stay tuned. If you are interested in learning more directly from me, please connect with me on LinkedIn.
Cole’s recent articles
What’s Old is New: The Quest for Excellence in Workforce Planning
A Historian, Demographer, & Data Scientist Walk Into a Bar…
The Phoenix & The Dragon
Why Buy When You Could Rent: SEC’s Push for Human Capital Disclosure
Elephant Hunting: Weighing Human vs. Algorithmic Input to Decision Making
For access to all of Cole’s previous articles, go here.
By: Cole Napper
原文来自：https://directionallycorrectnews.substack.com/p/dont-be-a-copy-cat-people-analytics
People Analytics
2023年11月30日
People Analytics
David Green:The best HR & People Analytics articles of October 2023
HR is the CEO’s right-hand in enlightened organisations.
Those were the words of Barbara Lavernos, Deputy CEO at L’Oreal, while speaking as part of a panel of CEOs on the main stage at the recent UNLEASH World in Paris. The declaration captures one of my key takeaways from the show: HR has made significant progress in its journey from support function to strategic partner.
One of the key drivers enabling this journey is people analytics. Two of the findings in the 4th Annual Insight222 People Analytics Trends study, are: (1) 21% of people analytics leaders now report directly to the chief people officer (compared to 13% in 2020). (2) People analytics teams have grown by 43% since 2020. As Isabel Naidoo, chief people officer at Wise, said recently at the Insight222 Global Executive Retreat in Colorado:
People analytics is the fastest route to credibility as a chief people officer.
FIG 1
One of my highlights from October was hosting the Main Stage at the aforementioned UNLEASH World show in Paris. I've shared my key learnings from UNLEASH in a LinkedIn post, but would like to highlight what makes UNLEASH unique: a vibrant mix of content, learning, community, and innovation topped off with fabulous production. A huge thank you to Marc Coleman, Paige Richmond, Amelia Donovan, Zoltán Kőváry and Nidal Elfadil – it was a joy to work with you all again. See more on Day 1 and Day 2 at UNLEASH World.
UNLEASH World 2023
What’s in store for November?
The next few weeks are set to be busy. I’m currently in Chicago ahead of a Peer Meeting for North American members of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, hosted by Berube, Derek and his team at McDonalds. In mid-November, I’ll be speaking on the key findings of the Insight222 2023 People Analytics Trends at Workday Rising EMEA. On November 21 and 22, I’ll be in Copenhagen for another Insight222 Peer Meeting, this time for European members of the People Analytics Program. Finally, on November 30, I’ll be in Bangalore to speak at Indeed FutureWorks. If any of you are going to these events, I look forward to seeing you there.
Looking for a new role in people analytics or HR tech?
I’d like keep highlighting the wonderful resource created by Richard Rosenow and the One Model team of open roles in people analytics and HR technology, which now numbers over 450 roles, as well as now also including roles for interns.
Participate in a study on the Modern Work Experience
RedThread Research is collecting data to understand the Modern Work Experience and how it has changed over the last year. This study is for individuals employed full-time at organizations with more than 100 people and will remain open until Monday, November 13, 2023. As a thank you for every response collected, RedThread will:
Donate $10 to DonorsChoose to support students and classrooms
Provide respondents with a free copy of the final report, “2023 Performance Management Trends: The Rise of Employee Expectations”
Share a free copy of the new report summary once published
Take the survey!
Share the love!
Enjoy reading the collection of resources for October and, if you do, please share some data driven HR love with your colleagues and networks. Thanks to the many of you who liked, shared and/or commented on September’s compendium including those highlighted in the comments below.
If you enjoy a weekly dose of curated learning (and the Digital HR Leaders podcast), the Insight222 newsletter: Digital HR Leaders newsletter is published every Tuesday – subscribe here.
GENERATIVE AI AND THE FUTURE OF WORK AND HR
DIANE GHERSON – The New Deal of Work | DAVID ROCK – Irreconcilable Differences | JOSH BERSIN - The Pixelated Workforce Has Arrived ... Are We Ready? | RJ MILNOR – Fractional Work and Your Talent Strategy | JUDITH WIESE – Growth Talks
I can’t recommend the Fall edition of SHRM’s People + Strategy on Rethinking Work and the Workplace highly enough. The guest editor is Diane Gherson, one of the deepest and most original thinkers about the future role of HR. As Diane articulates in her editor’s preface: “New work models, new business requirements and new employee expectations are coming together at full speed, putting at risk our status quo arrangements in the organization—and even the role and scope of HR.” These themes flow through all of the articles in the edition – all of which I happily recommend, they include. (1) David Rock highlights what neuroscience can teach us about the tug of war between employers and employees particularly with regards to the return to office debate. (2) Josh Bersin examines the implications for organisations of the “blowing up” of the traditional model for full-time long-term employees (FIG 2). (3) RJ Milnor highlights four questions for CHROs about the growth of fractional work and its impact on talent strategy. (4) Judith Wiese explains how Siemens replaced performance reviews with a new concept built on dialogues focused on growth.
New work models, new business requirements and new employee expectations are coming together at full speed, putting at risk our status quo arrangements in the organization—and even the role and scope of HR
FIG 2
FRANÇOIS CANDELON, LISA KRAYER, SARAN RAJENDRAN, AND DAVID ZULUAGA MARTÍNEZ - How People Can Create—and Destroy—Value with Generative AI
Together with a group of scholars from Harvard, MIT, Wharton, and the University of Warwick, BCG conducted an experiment on 750 of its own consultants around the globe to test the use of generative AI (GAI). The results, as documented in the article by François Candelon, Lisa Krayer, Saran Rajendran, and David Zuluaga Martínezfind that people mistrust GAI in areas where it can contribute tremendous value and trust it too much where the technology isn’t competent. For example, 90% of participants improved their performance when using GenAI for creative ideation. However, on the flip side, when the consultants participating in the study where focused on business problem solving, a task outside the tool’s current competence, many participants took GPT-4's misleading output at face value. Their performance was 23% worse than those who didn’t use the tool at all. The article also examines some key guidance on related topics including data strategy, roles and workflows, strategic workforce planning and experimentation.
FIG 3
FIG 4
OTHER RESOURCES ON GENERATIVE AI AND THE WORLD OF WORK
LYNDA GRATTON - Want More Clarity on Generative AI? Experiment Widely | LIZ GRENNAN, ANDREAS KREMER, ALEX SINGLA, AND PETER ZIPPARO - Why businesses need explainable AI—and how to deliver it | DONNA SCAROLA - What Most People Get Wrong about AI & Bias | FANGFANG ZHANG AND SHARON K. PARKER - How ChatGPT Can and Can’t Help Managers Design Better Job Roles | KEVIN OAKES - Is HR Already Behind in the AI Revolution?
Many of the topics discussed at Unleash World were related to the remarkable acceleration of AI tools and technologies, and their impact on work, organisations and workers. I recommend digging into these five resources: (1) Lynda Gratton shares insights from a webinar she recently ran with 260 global executives, which highlighted that: “Figuring out the right approaches to generative AI is a process replete with ambiguity, experiments, and changes of mind.” Lynda also provides details on what companies are already using generative AI for in HR with the top two areas being internal knowledge management and recruitment. (2) Writing for McKinsey, Liz Grennan, Andreas Kremer, Alex Singla, and Peter Zipparo break down explainable AI (see FIG 5), and why it is important Including to enhance productivity, build trust and deliver value. (3) Donna Scarola provides a helpful primer providing guidance on how to prevent bias – including the creation of an ethics committee. (4) Fangfang Zhang and Sharon Parker unveil their research, pros and cons, and guidance for using ChatGPT for work design and job roles (see FIG 6). (5) Finally, Kevin Oakes summarises the key findings from i4CP’s recent study: Is HR Already Behind in the AI Revolution? Thanks Erik Samdahl for the heads up.
People use what they understand and trust. This is especially true of AI
FIG 5
FIG 6
THE EVOLUTION OF HR AND DATA DRIVEN CULTURE
DAVE ULRICH AND NORM SMALLWOOD - Six Actions for HR to Create More Stakeholder Value
How can HR create more value for all stakeholders? This is the exam question Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood seek to answer in their article. The article highlights six specific actions and questions that enable organisations to create more value from HR (see FIG 7). The six actions are: (1) Articulate a point-of-view. (2) Define, seek, and track outcomes more than activities. (3) Prioritise what matters most. (4) Apply innovative and relevant methodology. (5) Translate to stakeholder value. (6) Scale, leverage and improve work.
FIG 7:
ROB BRINER - Aligning HR with the business through the evidence-based HR process
Rob Briner makes the case for evidence-based practice and how it applies to HR, explaining what it is and why it is effective. Rob breaks down six key steps in the evidence-based HR process (see FIG 8). He then applies the evidence-based approach to a case study to understand and solve high employee turnover.
FIG 8
PEOPLE ANALYTICS
NAOMI VERGHESE - The Growing Influence of People Analytics in Strategic Business Decisions
In a taster from the Insight222 People Analytics Trends report, Naomi Verghese digs into one of the key findings from the study: developing relationships with C-suite and senior stakeholders. The article focuses on four key elements of influence. (1) What ‘influence’ means in the context of people analytics. (2) Data on how people analytics as a field has grown in influence (including FIG 9, which highlights the growing number of people analytics leaders reporting directly to the CHRO). (3) How a people analytics leader can gain access to senior business stakeholders. (4) Why it is important that a people analytics leader has executive-level influence in organisations today.
FIG 9
THOMAS RASMUSSEN, MIKE ULRICH, AND DAVE ULRICH - Moving People Analytics From Insight to Impact
While I wouldn’t normally include a resource that isn’t open access in this compendium, I’m making an exception for this must-read paper by Thomas Hedegaard Rasmussen, Mike Ulrich and Dave Ulrich, which can be accessed for a fee of a very worthwhile £29.00. The abstract to the paper (see below), which can be considered a follow up to the seminal paper, authored by Thomas and Dave, which was published in 2015: How HR analytics avoids being a management fad, provides a compelling narrative.
KEVIN METHERELL - Intentionality Matters - a GER2023 review | JAY DORIO - How to Get Remote and Hybrid Working Right | HEIDI BINDER-MATSUO - From People Analytics to Chief People Officer: How to Effectively Influence the C-suite JASDEEP KAREER - Why is Adaptive Teaming and Intentional Collaboration Important in a New World of Work?
Perhaps the highlight so far of my year was the recent Insight222 Global Executive Retreat in Colorado. It has already inspired several articles, which are collected here. (1) Kevin Metherell, one of the people analytics leaders present, summarises his takeaways from the three days with the linking thread being the “need for intentionality in everything we do” (2) Jay Dorio explores ways to get remote and hybrid working right through intentionally co-ordinating in-person days, encouraging collaboration by scheduling in-person meetings, and setting the standard that attendance on anchor days is mandatory. (3) Heidi Binder-Matsuo provides insights on what CEOs and CHROs are looking for from their people analytics leaders. (4) Jasdeep Kareer, PhD (née Bhambra) breaks down the role of collaboration modes (see FIG 10) and provides ten steps people analytics professionals can take to gain a deeper understanding of collaboration within their organisations.
FIG 10
LYDIA WU - Seven Lessons I Learned About People Analytics | ADAM TOMBOR – People Analytics Hands-On | ANKIT SAXENA - How does a Global Head of People Insights create a people analytics roadmap? | JACKSON ROATCH - The Lindy Effect in People Analytics | JENNA EAGLESON - R Toolkit for People Analytics: Telling Your Headcount Story JAEJIN LEE - What Career and Academic Backgrounds Do People Analytics Leaders Possess? (Analysis of 279 Global People Analytics Leaders)
October has seen a number of people analytics leaders publishing articles, which is always to be encouraged as insights from practitioners really help the field advance. Six leaders are featured here. (1) As part of her excellent 'Oops, did I think that out loud' series of articles, Lydia Wu documents seven lessons she has learned from working in the people analytics field – my favourite is: “Stakeholders are more important than numbers”. (2) Adam Tombor (Wojciechowski), Global Head of People Analytics at Julius Baer, shares how the three key ingredients of the right technology, the right process and the right skills have helped reshape people analytics at Julius Baer. (3) Ankit Saxena, MBA shares his methodology for developing a progressive people analytics roadmap. (4) Jackson Roatch breaks down The Lindy Effect by using a powerful example using turnover (look at FIG 11 – and decide which worker has the highest turnover risk before reading Jackson’s article). (5) Jenna Eagleson provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to tackle a common people analytics challenge: telling the story of company headcount entirely in R. (6) Jaejin Lee analyses the career and academic backgrounds of 279 people analytics leaders.
FIG 11
MAX BLUMBERG - What to Avoid When Choosing a People Analytics Operating Model
A short but instructive article by Max Blumberg (JA) ?? on the key areas to consider when evaluating whether to implement a people analytics model including trust, investment and the extent of change management required.
Regulations continue to evolve - models that appear compliant today may not be tomorrow.
EMPLOYEE LISTENING, EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, AND EMPLOYEE WELLBEING
STEPHANIE DENINO, ANDRÉ FORTANGE, TIMO TISCHER, AND MARIS GARCIA - The APEX model: How organizations can systemically improve employee experience Website | Summary Report
I always learn from TI PEOPLE’s research and analysis on employee experience ever since the company was formed by Volker Jacobs in 2016. In their new study, the team of Stephanie Denino, André Fortange, Timo Tischer and Maris García, present the APEX (Activities driving the Practice of EX) model, which is comprised of 3 focus areas, 6 goals and 28 activities (see FIG 12) which uncovers what it takes to improve EX in ways that are sustainable and replicable. This model, based on research with dozens of global EX leaders and vast client experience, highlights two important threads that run through the model: being data-driven and human-centered. The report also covers big questions like “Is an EX leader essential?” and explains that guided by this model, EX leaders can bring about an EX-centric operating system in their organisations.
FIG 12
BASTIAAN STARINK AND JAN WILLEM VELTHUIJSEN - What every HR leader needs to show the CFO | The benefits of investing in People Where should companies invest to improve the employee experience?
I was drawn to this study, authored by Bastiaan Starink and Jan Willem Velthuijsen for PwC, by one of the key findings: Making investments in 11 key areas of employee experience can yield savings equivalent to 12.6% of revenues (see FIG 13) encompassing reducing absenteeism, reducing employee turnover and boosting productivity. Two additional findings are: (1) Out of the eleven employee experience drivers analysed in the study, well-being, developmental opportunities, and training lead to the best outcomes in terms of benefits. (2) Companies will always have to analyse their own employee experience - effective interventions can only be made on that basis.
FIG 13:
WORKFORCE PLANNING, ORG DESIGN, AND SKILLS-BASED ORGANISATIONS
KATHI ENDERES - Building the Dynamic Organization: Critical for the Post-Industrial Era | ANN ANN LOW - Unlocking Talent Agility to Future-Proof Organizations
Kathi Enderes breaks down the recent research she and Josh Bersin have conducted with Gloat. It highlights that instead of designing a company around jobs, Dynamic Organizations instead organise around people and skills. Kathi’s article provides a framework (see FIG 14), a maturity model, and data on the impact of Dynamic Organizations. Agility is also a key feature of Ann Ann Low’s article, which summarises the recent talk by Amy Schultz of Canva at LinkedIn Talent Connect including their 5Bs Framework (see FIG 15).
FIG 14
FIG 15
LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE
JONATHAN KNOWLES, B. TOM HUNSAKER, AND MELANIE HUGHES – The Role of Culture in Enabling Change
While culture is often described as “how we do things around here”, Jonathan Knowles, Dr. Tom Hunsaker, and Melanie Hughes argue in their article that “It’s more helpful to think of culture as the nervous system of an organization.” They highlight that one of the most important responsibilities of HR is to analyse the aspects of culture that are enabling or hindering performance. They proceed to explain that the first step is to investigate the type of change the team, business unit or organisation requires, and then document three approaches to making such changes: (1) Reinforce magnitude. (2) Reimagine activity. (3) Rethink direction (see also FIG 16)
FIG 16
FRANCES X. FREI AND ANNE MORRISS - Storytelling That Drives Bold Change
“Research has shown that storytelling has a remarkable ability to connect people and inspire them to take action,” write Frances Frei and Anne Morriss, in the cover article of the current issue of Harvard Business Review. In the article, which is a taster from their new book, Move Fast and Fix Things, the duo outline an effective way to leverage the power of storytelling, through four key steps: (1) Understand your story so well that you can describe it in simple terms, (2) honour the past, (3) articulate a persuasive mandate for change, and (4) lay out a rigorous and optimistic path forward. Then they explain how emotions can bring your story to life and help drive stakeholder commitment to change, and highlight ten underrated emotions in change narratives (see FIG 17).
FIG 17
EMILY FIELD, BRYAN HANCOCK, MARC METAKIS, AND DONNIE STUART - Activating middle managers through capability building
As one of the best books I’ve read this year – Power to the Middle (by Bill Schaninger, Ph.D., Bryan Hancock and Emily Field) - outlines middle managers who are equipped with the skills and support they need to succeed can reduce friction, accelerate action, and ensure that an organisation achieves its vision. This article, by Emily and Bryan together with Marc Metakis and Donnie Stuart, provides examples of companies that have built the capabilities of their middle managers (including a global not-for-profit who broke the problem-solving process into seven actions and four distinct phases for their middle managers – see FIG 18), common hurdles to doing this successfully, and how these obstacles can be overcome.
Middle managers can accelerate the execution of a company’s strategy by translating ideas between layers of hierarchy and solving problems with data.
FIG 18:
MICHAEL ARENA - The Ripple Effect: Understanding organizational behavior contagion to cultivate culture at scale
Michael Arena summarises the findings of a study he undertook to investigate the impact of behaviour contagion (the notion that behaviours are akin to contagious viruses within social networks) on organisational culture. The study was based on a comprehensive360-degree review to assess individual behavioural strengths combined with organisational network analysis techniques. The results confirmed that all cultural attributes were contagious to some extent and transmitted among direct employee connections. Moreover, the contagion effect extends up to three degrees of separation in professional networks – ‘The Ripple Effect’. Michael also examines the implications for companies, and how they can harness The Ripple Effect to build a positive workplace culture including identifying key influencers and nurturing strong connections. FIG 19 provides an example of how ‘strong judgement’ spreads across the network.
FIG 19
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING
EMILY FIELD, ALEXIS KRIVKOVICH, SANDRA KÜGELE, NICOLE ROBINSON AND LAREINA YEE - Women in the Workplace 2023
The ninth edition of the annual Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey and LeanIn.Org is based on analysis from 276 participating companies employing ten million people between them, and a survey of 27,000 employees and 270 senior HR leaders. It finds that while there have been gains at the top, with women’s representation in the C-suite at the highest it has ever been, progress in the middle of the pipeline is lagging—and with a persistent underrepresentation of women of colour—true parity remains painfully out of reach. The article by Emily Field, Alexis Krivkovich, Sandra Kuegele, Nicole Hardy Robinson and Lareina Yee, focuses on four myths about women at work that the study debunks. (1) Myth: Women are becoming less ambitious. Reality: Women are more ambitious than before the pandemic—and flexibility is fuelling that ambition. (2) Myth: The biggest barrier to women’s advancement is the “glass ceiling.” Reality: The “broken rung” is the greatest obstacle women face on the path to senior leadership (see FIG 20). (3) Myth: Microaggressions have a ‘micro’ impact. Reality: Microaggressions have a large and lasting impact on women. (4): Myth: It’s mostly women who want—and benefit from—flexible work. Reality: Men and women see flexibility as a ‘top 3’ employee benefit and critical to their company’s success.
FIG 20
HR TECH VOICES
Much of the innovation in the field continues to be driven by the vendor community, and I’ve picked out a few resources from October that I recommend readers delve into:
VISIER - Top 50 HR Leaders to Watch in 2024 – This is clever marketing from Jake Sorofman and the team at Visier Inc. as they highlight 50 HR (mostly people analytics) leaders to watch in 2024, including many who are customers. It’s certainly good to see the likes of Adam McKinnon, PhD., Angela LE MATHON, Dawn Klinghoffer, Doug Shagam, Erik Otteson, Jaclyn Lee PhD and IHRP-MP, Jeremy Shapiro, Kai Wehmeyer, Kanella Salapatas, Julien Legret, Kevin Moore SWP, Lydia Wu, Lydia Low, Kunal Thakkar, MS, PMP, Mark Berry, Matthew Hamilton, Mei Kim, Michael Salva, Nicholas Garbis, Pam Malone, Peter Meyler, Ramesh Karpagavinayagam, Richmond Tan, Sally Smith, Scott Judd, Shakti Jauhar, Shannon Vallina, and Steven Piperno getting some deserved recognition.
ANDREW PITTS - Mapping the Unleash World Exhibitors Network Using LinkedIn Data – Andrew Pitts continues Polinode’s excellent series by using ONA to map the network of the 175 exhibitors at the recent Unleash World show in Paris, which delivers some fascinating insights, not least the influence of The HR Lab.
ANNA AIROLDI - Is the Workplace Undergoing a Mental Health Revolution? – The latest gem from the Workforce Insights newsletter from Revelio Labs sees Anna A. providing analysis to highlight that companies are increasingly offering mental health and wellbeing benefits (see FIG 21). Thanks to Ben Zweig for highlighting.
FIG 21:
PHIL ARKCOLL - The Importance of Passive Listening – An excellent piece by Philip Arkcoll of Worklytics extolling the virtues of combining active listening (via surveys) with passive listening tools that allow forward-thinking organisations utilising both to understand the real-time behavioural drivers of employee attitudes.
FIG 22
FRANCISCO MARIN - Unlocking the Potential of Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) for Hybrid Work Adoption – Francisco Marin of Cognitive Talent Solutions breaks down how ONA can be used to gain insights on hybrid work adoption including by identifying informal communication networks, optimising office space, and assessing collaboration patterns.
FIG 23
MARC RAMOS - Transitioning your learning team to generative AI: Become the exemplar for your enterprise - Marc Steven Ramos of Cornerstone OnDemand writes on how Learning and Development teams are in prime position to be both pioneers in generative AI adoption and to lead by example, helping to conceptualise and implement the holistic generative AI strategy of the organisation.
COLE NAPPER, LUKA BABIC, AND STEFAN VUCICEVIC - People Analytics Operating Model in the Age of AI – In this paper, the Orgnostic team of Cole Napper, Luka Babic, and Stefan Vučićević, outlines how to set up a Lean People Analytics Operating Model that “connects technology, impactful consultation, and strategic decision-making, ultimately enabling ecosystems.”
FIG 24
PODCASTS OF THE MONTH
In another month of high-quality podcasts, I’ve selected four gems for your aural pleasure: (you can also check out the latest episodes of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast – see ‘From My Desk’ below):
ADAM GRANT – Why Meetings Suck and How to Fix Them? Podcast | Transcript – Adam Grant’s WorkLife podcast is always insightful, and this episode where, together with Steven Rogelberg, Rebecca Hinds, PhD, and Francesca Gentile, Adam investigates the science of improving meetings is mandatory listening.
TOBY CULSHAW, COLE NAPPER, AND SCOTT HINES – Everything Talent Intelligence- Toby Culshaw joins Cole Napper and Scott Hines, PhD on the Directionally Correct podcast to discuss what talent intelligence is, what it isn’t, and how it can be effectively applied in organisations.
AMY WEBB AND MOLLY WOOD – The Most Plausible Outcomes for AI and Work – Futurist Amy Webb joins Molly Wood on Microsoft’s WorkLab podcast to discuss the most likely outcomes for how AI will impact humanity and what business leaders can do today to set up their organisations for success.
JOSH BERSIN - The HR Technology Trailblazers: How AI Is Disrupting This Market | Unleash Paris 2023: The Skills HR Tech Confusion. Trailblazers: Docebo, Arist, Cornerstone – Josh Bersin recently announced 15 ‘HR Tech Trailblazers’ who are successfully infusing AI into their products. In these two podcast episodes, he breaks down seven of them: Eightfold Paradox SAP SuccessFactors, Visier Inc. Docebo Arist & Cornerstone OnDemand.
VIDEO OF THE MONTH
ANNE-MARIE ANDRIC AND GARY MUNRO – Bounce. A place to go, know and do
One of the people I was glad to catch up with at Unleash was Katarina Berg, Chief People Officer at Spotify, who shared insights from the company’s Work from Anywhere program on the main stage. One of Katarina’s team – Gary Munro, the Head of People Analytics, is the brain behind Bounce, an ingenious new platform that brings together all relevant workplace content in one place and offers employees a personalised experience. Read Gary’s article on the Spotify HR Blog, and then watch his discussion with the brilliant Anne-Marie Andric on an episode of HR The Real Deal.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
ADAM GRANT – Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things
The new book by Adam Grant is brilliantly written, sprinkled with humour, and incredibly insightful. In Hidden Potential, “Grant explores how to build the character skills and motivational structures to realize our own potential, and how to design systems that create opportunities for those who have been underrated and overlooked.” The book is also immensely readable – I read over half of it on my flight to Chicago yesterday. I also listened to the highly insightful and at times hilarious podcast on the book, where Grant talks to his old sparring partner, Malcolm Gladwell: Unlocking Hidden Potential with Malcolm Gladwell. A must-read and a must-listen.
RESEARCH REPORT OF THE MONTH
YANQUI TAO, LONGAI YANG, SONIA JAFFE, FERESHTEH AMINI, PETER BERGEN, BRENT HECHT, AND FENGQI YOU - Climate mitigation potentials of teleworking are sensitive to changes in lifestyle and workplace rather than ICT usage
Nick Bloom highlighted this fascinating paper during his recent talk at the Insight222 Global Executive Retreat, and summarises some of the key findings in his LinkedIn post here. The main finding of the paper is that, in the United States, switching from working onsite to working from home can reduce up to 58% of carbon footprint of work. Indeed, it finds moving to two days working from home a week reduces carbon use by 11% (see FIG 25). An important paper that highlights how hybrid and remote working can contribute to efforts to reduce an organisation’s carbon footprint.
FIG 25
FROM MY DESK
October saw the final episode of Series 33 of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, sponsored by Visier Inc., and the first two episodes of Series 34, sponsored by our friends at eQ8. Thank you to Adedamola Adeleke at Visier, and Chris Hare, Alicia Roach and Angela Shori at eQ8.
KAT BOOGAARD AND DAVID GREEN - 5 common people analytics challenges (and how to overcome them) – An interview with Kat Boogaard for Culture Amp, on the challenges today’s HR teams face in leveraging people analytics – as well as how they can effectively overcome them.
WENDY CUNNINGHAM AND PETER MEYLER - How to Achieve Data-Driven HR Excellence in a Highly Regulated Environment – Wendy Cunningham and Peter Meyler join me on the Digital HR Leaders podcast to share the evolution of people analytics at the Phoenix Group, how it supports the people strategy, and the role of technology.
NICK DALTON – Seven Waves: The Past, Present and Future of HR – Nick Dalton, formerly EVP of HR at Unilever and co-author of The HR (R)Evolution: Change the Workplace, Change the World, takes us on a journey through the past, present and future of the human resources function.
PIYUSH MEHTA - How to Create Personalised Employee Experiences – Piyush Mehta, chief human resources officer at Genpact, describes how the company uses technology and analytics to enhance and personalise the employee experience for its 120.000 employees: “The role of the CHRO is to make sure that the organisation has top-quality talent at the right place and at the right time, and then find a way to enable that talent to be able to stay on in the company and continue to build that talent engine.”
JESS VON BANK AND DAVID GREEN – Now of Work: Learnings from Unleash – I had the pleasure of joining the Mercer | Leapgen Now of Work Digital MeetUp to discuss learnings from Unleash with JESS VON BANK. Thanks to Jess and Jason Averbook for inviting me.
DAVID GREEN - Influencing the World of Work: Key learnings from The Insight222 Global Executive Retreat 2023 – My round-up of the key learnings from the recent Insight222 Global Executive Retreat in Colorado, which was attended by 60 people analytics leaders and senior HR executives from global organisations.
THANK YOU
Finally, this month I’d like to thank:
Racheli Gabel Shemueli and the teams at Pacífico Business School and APERHU - Asociación Peruana de Recursos Humanos for inviting me to speak at the 29th Human Capital Congress On October 24, 2023
The team at Thinkers360 for including me in their list of Top Voices 2023
Antonio Di Benedetto (here) and Rodrigo Santos (here) for posting about and recommending Excellence in People Analytics
Raja Sengupta for creating a heatmap topic model overview of some of the key topics covered in the Digital HR Leaders podcast over the years.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Green is a globally respected author, speaker, conference chair, and executive consultant on people analytics, data-driven HR and the future of work. As Managing Partner and Executive Director at Insight222, he has overall responsibility for the delivery of the Insight222 People Analytics Program, which supports the advancement of people analytics in over 90 global organisations. Prior to co-founding Insight222, David accumulated over 20 years experience in the human resources and people analytics fields, including as Global Director of People Analytics Solutions at IBM. As such, David has extensive experience in helping organisations increase value, impact and focus from the wise and ethical use of people analytics. David also hosts the Digital HR Leaders Podcast and is an instructor for Insight222's myHRfuture Academy. His book, co-authored with Jonathan Ferrar, Excellence in People Analytics: How to use Workforce Data to Create Business Value was published in the summer of 2021.
SEE ME AT THESE EVENTS
I'll be speaking about people analytics, the future of work, and data driven HR at a number of upcoming events in 2023:
30 October - 1st People Analytics Conference Korea (Seoul - Virtual)
14-16 November - Workday Rising EMEA (Barcelona)
30 November - Indeed FutureWorks (Bengaluru)
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